Dateline Diabetes - Place of Origin

I worked as a teenager selling “I talked to Paul Bunyan” t-shirts in my hometown of Brainerd, MN. And yes, Fargo the movie is also based off this town. :)

I was in speech therapy as a child because I couldn’t pronounce “r’s” and find it ironic that today I speak in front of large audiences for my job.

I respect the art of communication and decided to major in it in college.

I treasure my friends and family.

I’ve been blessed to know that I’m a child of God from an early age.

I cherish getting to experience other cultures and travel the world.

I’m quite feisty (I’m the middle child, sandwiched between two very tall brothers).

...and I’ve lived with type-1 diabetes for 14 years. My younger brother Will has had type-1 for 16 years. Will taught me that diabetes can be a footnote in your life, not the headline.

Being diagnosed at the age of 13 I thought my life was over. I couldn’t see pass the multiple insulin injections a day, finger pokes, future complications and being a regular visitor at the doctor’s office. My future looked bleak. It was when my parents forced me to go to diabetes camp that summer that changed everything. At Camp NEEDLEPOINT (bit of a funny name for a diabetes camp!) I met other kids my age who were going through the same struggles I was, but continuing to wake up each day with a smile on their face and continuing to fight. I realized that I had been given a choice…the choice of how I wanted to live my life. From seeing other people’s faith, hope, and courage it was a tangible example shown to me at an early age.

Dateline in the dictionary means; “a line giving the place of origin and usually the date of a news dispatch or the like." It is your origin of belonging, the start line of your story. My writing comes purely from my personal viewpoint. I’m not a doctor or medical professional of any sorts. I’m not a celebrity. I could barely pass high school biology. I’m just a small town girl from northern Minnesota who does the best I can day by day to live as happy and healthy as possible. That doesn’t mean life has been a piece of cake, but I try to learn as much as I can, even if it’s been painful at times. I’ve experienced great joys, and sorrows, and I want to be as open and transparent as possible in this blog. I hope along the way you will feel comfortable opening up and joining in on the conversations that I hope to start on here

I would love to know more about you.

How long have you been living with diabetes? What's your place of origin?

Keep in Touch!

Diabetes is a serious disease requiring professional medical attention. The information and recipes on this site, although as accurate and timely as feasibly possible, should not be considered as medical advice, nor as a substitute for the same. All recipes and menus are provided with the implied understanding that directions for exchange sizes will be strictly adhered to, and that blood glucose levels can be affected by not following individualized dietary guidelines as directed by your physician and/or healthcare team.